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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23747881">Somebody that nobody knows</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterisms/pseuds/asterismal'>asterismal (asterisms)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boy-Who-Lived Neville Longbottom, Gen, Harry Potter is Not the Boy-Who-Lived, Hufflepuff Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:53:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,605</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23747881</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterisms/pseuds/asterismal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The day starts out like any other. He eats breakfast alone. He draws no unnecessary attention in his classes. He keeps his head down because he has no reason not to.</p>
<p>He isn’t special. </p>
<p>He isn’t the Boy-Who-Lived or one of his Gryffindor friends. No one comes to him for help, and he has no help to offer, anyway.</p>
<p>And then he does.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <i>In which Harry Potter is not the Boy-Who-Lived.</i></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cedric Diggory &amp; Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>917</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Corona Challenge</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Somebody that nobody knows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <strong>Prompt:</strong>
</p>
<p>Harry isn’t the BWL, and he’s overlooked, abuse is the same as in canon maybe Hufflepuff Harry just wanting to belong and make friends but he doesn’t/isn’t good at socializing so he’s more of the loner through his tears at hogwarts</p>
<p> <br/>So, this fic <i>was</i> going to fit the prompt better, but my undying need to make Harry be friends with Ron and Hermione in every AU took over and this happened instead.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In his third year, Harry teaches himself the Patronus Charm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It takes him months, but his wand is good for charm-work, and defensive magic has always come naturally to him. If anyone were to ask him </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> he learned it, he wouldn’t have a good answer to give them. He’s never met a dementor, after all; he suspects he never will.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>But no one asks why.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe that’s why.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harry Potter has no friends. He can’t explain </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He used to try.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He would sit awake in his bed at night, long after everyone else had fallen asleep, and make lists: why Harry Potter would be a good friend—why no one is friends with him anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He used to blame it on the Dursleys. Maybe, he used to tell himself, if they’d treated him like a person, he’d have a better idea of how to be one. Maybe, if he hadn’t lived in a fucking cupboard for over half of his life, he’d be just a little bit more normal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But they didn’t treat him like a person, and he did grow up in a cupboard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Only, he’s been free of them for five years.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thinks it’s time to accept that the problem here is </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it’s been him all along.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe the Dursleys were right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a disgusted sigh at the turn his thoughts have taken, Harry rolls his eyes at himself and gets out of bed. As he stands at the foot of his bed, he listens to the sound of his dormmates breathing. No one else is awake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one will bother him about losing points when he leaves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he reaches the common room, he strides for the doorway with his gaze trained on the floor, refusing to look to the chair where Cedric used to sit in the early mornings, ready to catch him before he could go out. Harry wakes early because he never managed to shake the habit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cedric…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cedric liked to watch the sunrise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He used to drag Harry to the floor with him, where he’d fold the rug aside and point to the way the light moved across the lines carved into the wood. “It’s like a calendar,” he used to say, tracing one finger across the grooves. “You can tell what day it is by where the light fits into the pattern.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’d lie there on their bellies for hours, letting the light wash over them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He never got tired of it. He thinks he could have stayed there forever, in those moments before the rest of the castle woke up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Today, the sun has yet to rise.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t want to be here when it does.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harry believes that Lord Voldemort is back because he refuses to believe anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Five months ago, four people entered a maze, and three came back. Neville Longbottom says Cedric died with his wand raised, struck down on Voldemort’s orders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If he’s lying…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Cedric died for </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing…</span>
  </em>
  <span> He doesn’t think he could bear it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry Potter has no friends, but for four years, Cedric was kind to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For four years, he thinks he came pretty close.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The day starts out like any other. He eats breakfast alone. He draws no unnecessary attention in his classes. He keeps his head down because he has no reason not to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He isn’t special. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He isn’t the Boy-Who-Lived or one of his Gryffindor friends. No one comes to him for help, and he has no help to offer, anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then he does.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s in the library when he hears it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“—sent a dementor after you!” The tone is frantic enough that he can’t help but pay attention. It doesn’t take long to put a name to the voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hermione,” Longbottom says, his voice hushed, “You can’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>say</span>
  </em>
  <span> that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry closes his book. From the sound of it, Longbottom and his friends are just one aisle over. From the sound of it, they’re talking about something important. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it’s true,” he hears Granger argue. “And it’s wrong! She shouldn’t be allowed—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But she is,” Longbottom interrupts. “She is allowed, and all I can do is be prepared to face it next time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hears someone groan—probably Weasley. “You’ve done it now, mate,” Weasley says. “She’ll be researching dementors for the next </span>
  <em>
    <span>month.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hears something heavy thump against one of the study tables. “It wouldn’t take a month if you two would actually help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Harry has heard enough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he stands, the sound of his chair sliding against the floor is loud enough that the trio in the next aisle surely hears it. He packs his books away, waiting to see if they’ll leave or maybe confront him. But they only wait, silent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry doesn’t even consider heading for the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, he marches over to the next aisle, where he finds Longbottom, Granger, and Weasley staring at him with wide eyes from their table. Judging by the looks on their faces, they don’t know how much he heard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They don’t know what he wants, so Harry makes it easy for them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re looking for a way to fight dementors,” he says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Weasley recovers first. He shoves himself to his feet, glaring. “You were listening to us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s trying to be intimidating.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Too bad for him, Harry isn’t easily intimidated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Obviously,” he says dryly. “If you don’t want people listening to the conversations you have in public, try a privacy ward next time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulls out his wand and demonstrates, and the noise around them fades into a quiet hum.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you want?” Longbottom demands, and his voice barely wavers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry almost grins, but he thinks that would only make them more suspicious. “I want to help you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?” Granger asks, looking him over with a shrewd gaze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry isn’t surprised by her skepticism. He’s always done well in his classes, but he isn’t like her. He doesn’t like to draw so much attention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s a spell that will drive them away,” Harry tells them. “It’s called the Patronus Charm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Granger frowns, but before she can say anything, Longbottom nods.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve heard of it,” he says. He looks away, dejected. “It’s a really advanced spell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry tilts his head, curious. He’s known, of course, that the Boy-Who-Lived doesn’t quite live up to his grand reputation. Everyone who’s heard Longbottom speak knows </span>
  <em>
    <span>that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But he didn’t expect this much doubt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This is the boy who faced Voldemort last year?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There must be something more to him, something he can’t yet see. Well. Until he sees it, until he can drag it out of him, Harry will have to be confident enough for the both of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right,” Weasley says, stepping forward to loom over Harry, blocking his view of Longbottom. “If you don’t have anything helpful to offer, you can—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry ignores him. “I can teach you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The silence that follows his declaration is almost insulting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Granger looks ready to ask all sorts of questions, but she doesn’t get the chance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” Longbottom asks, quiet. He looks up from the table, holding Harry’s gaze. “Why would you help me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry doesn’t look away. “Because you need it,” he says. He feels as if he’s stood atop a tall cliff, poised to leap. “Because I can.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If Professor Umbridge learns you’ve helped me—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Professor Umbridge can go fuck herself,” Harry snaps, and his whole body feels flushed with a rage so hot it makes it hard to breathe, suddenly. He curls his hands into fists at his sides, forces himself to breathe, to clear the fog away. “I don’t… I know you don’t know me, but Cedric liked you. He said you didn’t deserve the things that people said about you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Longbottom looks stricken. “Were you—?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were… something.” Harry clenches his jaw, looks away. “But that isn’t the point. The point is, Voldemort murdered Cedric, and now he’s after you. If he doesn’t already control the dementors, he’ll get them on his side eventually. I can help you fight them.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All three of them are looking at him now, shock clear across their faces.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” he demands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Longbottom rushes to assure him. “Only, people are usually afraid to call Voldemort by his name.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not the only person whose parents were killed by Voldemort, Longbottom,” Harry says eventually, his voice flat. “I’ll call him what I like.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He leaves it at that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t want to talk about it.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They must be able to tell, because Granger takes over, steering the conversation back to the spell. “Can you really help?” she asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can show you, if you’d like.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Granger nods, eager.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry forces himself to relax and lifts his wand again. Each time he casts, it’s easier. With little more than a thought, the magic wells up to greet him like an old friend, and a silver stag leaps from his wand, radiating light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It prances a circle around the table then returns to him, bowing as it shimmers from view.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a long moment, the only sound is the hum of the privacy ward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he drags his gaze from the air where his Patronus once stood, he sees Granger looking at the empty space with wide, wet eyes, her hands clasped over her chest. Longbottom and Weasley are similarly affected, though Weasley looks embarrassed when he catches Harry watching and clears his throat, looking away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can teach me that?” Longbottom asks, awe coloring his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he meets Harry’s gaze, his eyes are bright.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time, Harry can’t keep the grin from his face. “I can.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm not sure if I'll ever write more for this fic specifically, but non-BWL Harry is fun and I'll probably write more of him in the future </p>
<p>I just love the idea of Voldemort being all fixated on Neville only for Harry to bust in through the wall, knock him on his ass, and burn all his shit down—bc i like to think that a Harry who isn't facing so many expectations about who he'll be (and who doesn't have the parallel of his connection to Voldemort to keep him on the straight and narrow out of fear of going dark) would be w i l d</p>
<p>Also my boy is smart and powerful thank you, and being able to go to school while not in a constant state of stress and fear would open up many possibilities</p></blockquote></div></div>
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